Reverend Billy Picnics and Politicks in Tompkins Square Park

While those tiresome major-party candidates for mayor are doing the usual grip-and-grins and donation-grubbing, Green Party mayoral candidate Reverend Billy energized his base this weekend at Tompkins Square Park, where he held one of his "Weekly Sunday BBQs," though there was no apparent roasting going on (good thing, or the city would have fined him for it). Along with the usual uplift, the Reverend marched his flock over to Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A and witnessed for owner Ray Alvarez -- whose services to the neighborhood, we note with surprise, were also recently lauded by the conservative Christian magazine World. Maybe this presents an ecumenical inroad for the Reverend to get the church folks into his campaign. Has he talked to Calvin Butts? Photo via EV Grieve.